Guildhall Questions: Opera Cast Member Zoe Drummond Answers

We speak to student Zoe Drummond about a typical rehearsal day and what brings these two Operas together.

Ahead of her performance in The Guildhall School’s opera department double-bill of one-act operas with a distinctive culinary flavour, we speak to student Zoe Drummond about what brings the two pieces together and experiencing the lead up to opening night.

For audience members who aren’t familiar with these two one-act operas, can you give us a bit of an introduction and tell us how your character fits in to it all?

The concept of Hindemith's ’The Long Christmas Dinner’ is hauntingly beautiful- the story of a family meeting at Christmas time over the span of a century. The piece is like a continual time-lapse of generations on stage... I see it as the houses’ perspective of time and lives passing. The second half of the show is Berkeley's ‘A Dinner Engagement’- this is a comic opera revolved around food, French royalty, and an arranged marriage. I play the role of Susan, the bratty daughter of Lord and Lady Dunmow.

These two operas are tied together by their culinary themes, but what do you think makes them work well as a double-bill?

These two operas couldn’t be more different in terms of musical style, genre and sentiment. However, setting the pieces in a kitchen/ dining room connects the two with themes of food, family, and naturally, the resulting drama. The two operas work so well together because they give the audience a varied taste of abstract nostalgia and cliched comedy. The double bill also highlights how talented the student designers, crew, orchestra, and management team are for their flexibility and versatility.

What have you enjoyed most about finding your character and developing her over the course of rehearsals?

When rehearsals first started, our director Ashley Dean had a clear idea of who ‘Susan’ was. This was very helpful for the process, as I had a guideline of the type of behaviour to adopt. I have really enjoyed being grumpy and ill-tempered, and have learnt many ways to exit the stage in a huff! However, the real ‘ah hah’ moment was when I had my first costume fitting- all of the puzzle pieces just fell into place! It is amazing how much clothing can tell you about a person.

You also get a good linguistic work-out as a singer here at Guildhall, do you enjoy singing in English?

I do love to sing in English- it is a lot easier to memorise! But even though it is my native language I still had to have ‘English Diction’ coaching, as it is easy to take consonants and vowel choices for granted! I also needed to iron out a bit of my Australian accent sneaking through...What’s a typical rehearsal day like as we approach opening night?

Typical rehearsals leading up to the performances are usually full runs of the show in costume and hair/make up, with either a piano or the full orchestra. This is followed by a few hours of music and staging rehearsals, and then general feedback and notes. We also have been concurrently rehearsing our Summer Opera Makers concerts for July- no rest for the wicked!

The Silk Street Theatre is currently in full tech set-up – what does this add to the process for you as a singer? Does it help to see all the other elements start to come together on stage?

It is really interesting to step on stage and see the wonderful world the creative team have envisaged. During stage rehearsals it is often a tightrope act to balance many different facets- dealing with new acoustics/aural feedback, figuring out where the light is, navigating new sets and props, angling yourself to be able to see the conductor, and getting used to how your costume functions in the space. It is a very intense and exciting time!

Without giving too much away, what can you tell us about the staging for this double-bill?

Both operas are centred around a large dining table….with lots of real food!

What are you looking most looking forward to about opening night?

I am looking forward to telling these stories to an audience, and being given permission to throw a tantrum in public!

Hindemith’s 'The Long Christmas Dinner' and Berkeley’s 'A Dinner Engagement' will be performed on Monday 4, Wednesday 6, Friday 8 and Monday 11 June 2018 in Silk Street Theatre at 7pm. Book your tickets now.